Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth announced that he will skip his planned visit to Israel next week to accompany President Trump on Air Force One for a trip to the Middle East, as confirmed by a top Pentagon spokesperson on Friday.
Hegseth expressed his gratitude, stating, “I am honored to be asked to join President Trump’s trip to the Middle East next week,” which he shared in a post on a social platform.
He clarified that the Pentagon chief has not canceled the Israel trip, emphasizing, “We are very excited to visit our ally, Israel, soon.”
The trip with Trump, starting on May 13th, will include stops in Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and the United Arab Emirates, demonstrating that the president continues to back Hegseth despite ongoing controversies.
Recent concerns have arisen regarding Hegseth’s use of a messaging app to discuss sensitive military matters, drawing criticism from both Democrats and some Republicans.
This situation has led Senate Republicans to question how much longer Hegseth will remain at the helm of the Pentagon.
Despite this, Trump remains steadfast in his support for Hegseth, stating in an NBC interview last week that he is “doing a very good job” at the Department of Defense and that his position is “completely safe.”
Israeli officials indicated that Hegseth’s planned visit to Israel, set for Monday, had been in the works for several days. While there, he was scheduled to meet with his counterparts, Israel Katz and Prime Minister Netanyahu.
Following this, he was expected to travel to Saudi Arabia to join Trump on the upcoming visit, accompanied by Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Treasury Secretary Scott Bescent, Energy Secretary Chris Wright, and Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick.
